Polls have repeatedly indicated an uphill battle for attorney Molly Munger and other backers of a ballot measure that would increase income taxes on all but the poorest Californians to benefit public schools– but the campaign says a new survey indicates they may be able to succeed at the ballot box in November.

The catch? Fifty-two percent of voters said they would support Munger’s proposal, but only after they were read both positive and negative information about both that measure and a competing tax initiative sponsored by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The telephone poll was conducted last month among 804 likely voters. When voters were read simply the title and summary that will appear on the ballot, the Munger initiative “produces a divided electorate,” — 45 percent saying they would vote yes, 45 percent saying they would vote no — according to a memo by the polling firm Analone Liszt Research.

Brown’s measure fared far better, with 53 percent saying they would support his plan to increase the state sales tax and raise income taxes on the wealthiest Californians, and 39 percent saying no. That was after they were simply read the title and summary for that measure as well.

But “after balanced messages about the initiatives that include negative information on both,” the Munger initiative came out in front in a head-to-head with the governor’s plan. According to the polling memo, “in an evenly funded campaign in which voters hear positives and negatives about both measures,” and are asked to choose between the two, voters support Munger’s plan 52 to 30 percent.

Munger campaign spokesman Nathan Ballard said the poll — which comes as the campaign submits the final round of signatures to county elections officials to qualify it for the ballot — shows “it’s not going to be a cakewalk but the fact is we have a real shot at winning.”

“What we’ve discovered in our research is that when voters are educated about provisions of our measure, support increases,” he said. “The more they learn the more likely they are to support our measure.

Ballard would not release the actual language that was read to voters, but said the pollsters “used the governor’s own language to promote his tax hike.”

While he insisted that the campaign is not running against the governor, Ballard added that he believes there is “more enthusiasm around the state for education funding than for general budget relief,” which is what Brown’s measure focuses on.